From Christopher Tolkien, with love
by jacques.genevieve
Summary: Charlie Evans goes to a trip in London, when she found something she should have never witnessed. (BilboxOC)
1. Prologue

Charlie Evans looked trough the window of her apartment to see if the shuttle that led to the airport arrived, only to notice it wasn't there yet, but she kept looking outside anyway and smiled, drowned in her thoughts.

Everything was going according to plans. She had just finished her last semester of her master degree and she was about to hop on a plane, destination London, for an indefinite period of time. She felt that, after living this great adventure, she would finally be ready to start her adult life. But for now, she really needed that one last time to think only about herself. She needed to be selfish : no work, no school, no obligations. Pure freedom.

Still lost in her thought, she planned that only after that, she could think of finding a job, maybe look for a home, find a suitable mate, maybe make a little family...

A van of an electric blue color stopped in front of her building making her come out of her reverie. It was time to leave. She glanced once last time at the window, feeling she wouldn't see that city for a long time.

"Goodbye, New York." she blew a kiss.

–

Walking through the passerelle at the London airport, clutching her backpack with one hand, holding her luggage with the other, Charlie looked around her searching for a familiar face. Soon enough, she found a old cheerful lady, with short salt and pepper curly hair, dressed in a very british attire, waving a cardboard with "Welcome home" written on it.

"Grandmother!" Charlie shouted with joy.

She rushed into her grandmother arms.

"Oh my! You look wonderful, my dear! Look at you, such a grown woman!" her grandmother complimented.

Charlie said nothing to protest. First, because you never refuse a compliment and second because it's a grandmother thing to put their grandchildren on a pedestal.

She knew that she would have a great time, here in this awesome city along with her grandmother. Last time she had this chance, was for her sweet sixteen, and it seemed to her like an eternity had passed.

_'Whoa. Time do go fast. 11 years have passed already? Gee', I'm getting old.'_

–

On the way home, her grandmother took some news about her, although they kept in touch at least once a month.

"So, how was your last semester, my dear?" asked her grandmother, as she drived, looking straight ahead.

"Actually, it went very well! I'm pretty sure I'll have good grades! I guess an average of B plus or A minus? I did work really hard though. This pause if more than welcome!" she laughed.

"That's great, sweetie! I'm very proud of you."

They stayed silent for a few minutes.

"Some news of Kevin?" Her grandmother added.

"No... Not in a while. Although, did you know he now have a little family?" Charlie answered.

"No, no I didn't! So I guess there's no chance this dear boy will return in our family, now." she teased.

"Indeed... But I'm happy for him. I really am." She said frankly.

Kevin was a childhood friend of Charlie, which became a boyfriend when they were teenagers. They actually stayed a couple quite a while, but distance grew them apart, as Charlie when to college in New York and Kevin stayed to study in Alberta. She never fell in love after that. She was too absorbed by her studies anyway.

"...So, have you thought a little about your future? Now that your studies are over." Her grandmother asked.

"Actually, yes. But I don't know really what to do. All my life was work, study, work, study. Now that I have plenty of time for me, I just don't know what to do about it. I don't feel like an adult yet, although I am. I don't feel like taking responsibilities, although I should. That's why I wanted to spent some time here with you, to loop the loop. Be like a child for the last time. You know?"

"It's okay my dear, you'll find soon enough all the answers you seek. You've got your whole life in front of you to sort things out." she removed one hand of the wheel to pat her granddaughter's. "Comparatively to me, that is, that have more behind than ahead."

"Oh don't say that memaw. You'll live forever!" she said with a naïve voice, knowing that it's actually impossible, but even has an adult it's was kind of reassuring to think that way.

Her grandmother laughed wholeheartedly. "Well, if only we could be elves, our lifespan would be longer!"

"Indeed! But I consider myself more like an Hobbit, for now. You know : no responsibilities."

–

Charlie and her grandmother were standing in the hallway.

"Hummm. It smell so good. You've made boiled beef, did you?"

"How could I not! I know how much you love that." She laughed.

Charlie smiled and clapped her hands. _'Well that's a good way to start feeling like a child again.'_

"Now, why won't you get rid of your bags. I'll serve the supper while you get ready."

"Okay memaw!" she rushed upstairs to what she knew was her room.

She opened the wardrobe, drop her bags and was about to return to the dining room, but something was wrong. When her backpack touched the floor, it sounded... hollow. Immediately, curiosity took over her. She crouched, put her backpack on her knees, and knocked on the floor.

It was definitely empty under that!

"It's ready, my dear!" shouted her grandmother from the ground floor.

"Coming!" she said to gain some time.

She tried pulling one of the wood strips and, as anticipated, succeeded in moving one of them. She felt like an archeologist that solved a huge mystery or a pirate that found a hidden treasure. She finished removing it quickly, only to find... a book?

It was _The Hobbit_, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

_'Just that? I know grandmother is really fond of that book, but still...' _she frowned perplexed.

She opened it and noticed a handwritten note on the first page.

_From Christopher Tolkien,  
Because you rule my heart.  
_

_'Oooh a love story. Now that's interesting! Well I guess that makes sense now. She didn't want grandfather knowing she was in love with another man before him.'_

In the first page, there was also a bookmark with a ring attached to it. _'Aww, how cute, is that supposed to represent the ring to rule his heart?'_

She placed the book aside. Took the bookmark, determined to ask the story behind this ring.

She slided the ring in her finger...

–

"What is taking her so long?" a worried Mrs Evans asked herself.

She climbed the stairs to the room of her granddaughter, only to find it empty.

Her luggage was placed in the wardrobe, one of the wood strip was removed and a book was lying on the floor.

"Oh dear god, no."

–

Author's note : I'm French and have not many opportunities to speak English (sorry in advance for the mistakes).


	2. What the?

Charlie, who had her eyes shut tight, opened them abruptly. She froze. Why wasn't she in her grandmother room anymore?

"What the...?" she whispered, barely moving her lips.

Still stunned, she tried to get a better look at the unfamiliar environment by only moving her eyes in their socket. Green. It was green as far as her eyes could see. There was no house, no road. Maybe, there was something behind her, but she was still too shocked to be able to do the simple movement of turning her body around so she could get a panoramic view. She concluded, with the few parameters that she had, that she might be in some kind of clearing.

_'Have I been drugged?' _she thought for a second, panicked._ 'Okay-okay, don't panic and be analytic. For a start, you're not in some kind of disused factory -' _her eyes looked down. _'-you've got all your clothes on and, finally, you don't feel sore anywhere.' _she sighed, relieved. _'____So, if we forget the fact that you don't know where the hell you dropped off : overall, things are looking pretty good._ Thank you very much twisted brain for letting me think of the worst scenario ever_._'

She moved her hands cautiously to her backpack, that was still on her knees, as if she was afraid that if she moved too fast, somebody would notice her. _'Very logical Charlie, if you're indeed sitting in the middle of a clearing : good chance you're preeeetty visible.' _She fetched for her ipod to look for the time. It was six past five in the afternoon._ 'Well that coincides with last time I checked.'_

_'What could it be then? Oh, got it! This might only be a dream! This __**have**__ to be dream.' _she pinched herself, still making sure to avoid making unnecessary movement ._ 'Ouch. No. Damn.'_

_'Ok try to focus. What is the last thing you remember?'_

She reenacted the last fifteen minutes in her head.

"Oh my god. The ring!" she said.

_'Oh fuck!' _she slammed mentally her head for saying that out loud, still afraid that she might not be alone in that clearing.

Really slowly, she turned her upper body, to catch a glimpse of what was actually behind her, and to know, once and for all, is she really needed to be extra cautious. To her relief, there was no one. She sighed. She also discovered that, behind her, there was indeed a road, which led to a small countryside village. It was too far, though, for her to see it well.

"Looks like an hour of walk or so. Better start now... But before, let's try to remove _that_ ring."

She tried turning it around her finger, with no success. Then, she tried pulling it, still nothing. She tried harder : it didn't move an bit.

"Goddamn it, you will let go of my finger you motherfucking ring." she knew that insulting the object wouldn't technically get her any chance to remove the ring : but it made her feel a whole lot better.

Unsuccessful, she looked furiously at the ring, panting.

_'What kind of sorcery is this? The ring size was perfect, it shouldn't be that difficult to remove?' _She stared at her hand with wide-eyes.

She looked at the faraway village.

"Well, with chance, I'll find someone that could tell me where I am and maybe that same someone could also lend me some soap, or anything to help me remove that stupid ring."

She stood up with shaky legs, picked up her backpack, put some music on and started walking in direction of the village.

* * *

Author's note : Well, yeah... That's short. But, eh, it's Christmas and I wanted to upload something! Happy Xmas to y'all! :)


	3. Not from Middle-Earth

The more she approached the village, the more she was perplexed about it. It seemed like all the houses were built under the ground! As if it was rabbit holes!

When she almost arrived, she finally crossed a man along the road. _'With bare and – ewww – hairy feet.'_ she thought disgusted.

She frowned. _'Underground houses... hairy feet... the ring... Oh no, that doesn't look good.'_

She stopped the music on her ipod and removed one of her earbud.

"I'm sorry, sir, would you be so very kind and tell me where I am? It looks as though I am... lost." she asked the man.

"You're in Hobbiton, miss. The nicest place in Middle-Earth." he answered cheerfully. "Sadly, if you need help to find your way back, we Hobbits, are not the adventurous type and we don't know a lot about the world outside." he paused and then snapped his fingers. "Except for Bilbo, that is! He had always been obsessed about what was outside Hobbiton. He might be able to help you..." his attention drifted to her blue jeans. "Might I ask you where you come from? I don't remember seeing anyone in these attire before? What kind of fabric is this?" he said mesmerized.

Receiving no answers, he stopped looking at the jeans and looked back at Charlie who was now staring blankly in front of her, as if she would have seen a ghost.

"Are you quite alright, miss?" he waved his hand in front of her face.

She snapped out off her trauma. "Sorry, I lost track of what you were saying... You said we were where exactly...?"

"Hobbiton." he stared at her, as if she was some kind of lunatic.

"Riiight. Hobbiton. A fictive village from of child book. Great, juuust great." she said in a high-pitch voice.

"Pardon me to ask again, but are you sure you are alright, miss? When you were saying that you were lost... was it geographically speaking? I was suggesting to see Bilbo to find your way out, but if you want to see a doctor, I would rather suggest seeing Daryl..." he looked at her quizzically. "Do you remember falling, hurting your head?"

She ran a hand on the back of her head, just to be sure. There was no blood. _'Damn. That scenario would, at least, made some sort of sense. Hey look Charlie you're hallucinating, but it's okay because you knocked your head god knows where. That would've been too great to be true.'_

She tried her best to regain her composure. _'Now's not the time to look crazy. You don't want to end in a psychiatric hospital of a... parallel universe... In case that something like that might exist here?'_

"Ah yeees! Hobbiton. Yeeeaah, I remember now. I did hear that before." she said in a voice that she believed was hiding the fact that she was lying. "Bilbo you said? I shall see him right away. Do you mind telling me where could I find him?" she smiled sheepishly.

The Hobbit indicated the way to Bilbo's house and before she leave he asked her once more where she came from.

"Very-very far from here... At the other end of Middle-Earth, no chance in the world you might know this place. 'Kay? Bye." she waved quickly and leaved as fast as she could.

At that time, she thought that hiding her ipod would be clever and so she did.

* * *

Bilbo Baggins, middle-aged hobbit, was enjoying a pipe of tobacco on a warm summer morning when a strange old man wearing grey robes stood in front of his fences.

"Good morning." Bilbo said to the man and he meant it, since it was a shiny day and the grass was green.

"What do you mean?" he said. "Do you wish me a good morning, or mean that it is a good morning whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this morning; or that it is a morning to be good on?"

"All of them at once." said Bilbo, perplexed.

The man stood silently, analyzing the Hobbit.

"You don't seem to remember me." pointed out the man.

"No... Should I?"

"I am Gandalf the Grey." he simply said.

Bilbo thought for a while, searching in his memories. "Oh! You're the man who did fantastic fireworks! What brings you here? Are you still in business?"

"Well, at least, you remember me for something, not really what I expected, but..." Gandalf pouted. " Nevertheless, this is not fireworks that made me come to you Bilbo."

"To me...? Might I ask you what brings you here then?"

"I want you to take part of an adventure."

A small laugh escaped the Hobbit mouth. "An adventure? Sorry, you're talking to the wrong person. We don't want any adventures here, thank you! You might try over The Hill or across The Water."

Gandalf looked at the hobbit, disappointed.

Bilbo who was starting to feel uneasy with the presence of the man, stood up and was on his way to enter his house "Good morning! Hope you will find the person you need to join you on your adventure." he said at last. By this he meant that the conversation was at an end.

"What a lot of things you do use Good morning for!" said Gandalf. "Now you mean that you want to get rid of me, and that it won't be good till I move off."

Bilbo nodded politely while closing is door, not knowing what to reply to this, since it was basically true.

"Sorry?" said a feminine voice. "Is this Bilbo Baggins house?"

_'Ooouh, you remember the family name. Way to go, Charlie.' _she thought impressed with her own memory.

Bilbo stopped closing the door, but kept it where it was. There was only so much someone could take on a single morning. A man he has not seen since he was a toddler that came to ask him to participate on nothing less than an adventure and then **this** stranger.

"Yes? What is it for?" he answered in a sharper tone that he had intended.

"Hum..." she looked at the gigantic man standing beside her and then back at Bilbo. _'Wait? Gigantic?'_

"You're huge! Why are you so huge?" she exclaimed pointing at the mage. "I'm human, I should be your size, not an Hobbit size. What is this madness?"

Gandalf frowned, he knew by the desperate tone in the voice of the young girl in front of him, that she was sincere.

Bilbo, who stopped fighting against the weird things that happened to him that morning, finally stepped out of his house.

"Could you please show us some proof that you are a human, miss...?" asked the magician.

"Charlie. And yes I can show you." she tossed her straight hair from her ears. "See non-pointy ears..." she removed her red converse and socks. "...and no hairy feet."

"Well isn't that curious." he stroked his beard and looked at her seriously. "You are not from here. And by that, I mean not from Middle-Earth. Am I wrong?"

She sighed. "No. You are not..." she bit her lips "It's a long story. And to tell the truth... I don't know really what happened or why. But somehow I know that you, of all people, will believe my story... and maybe have some kind of answer to it?"

"Well isn't that convenient that we're in front of Bilbo's house, who will most certainly be delighted to invite us and prepare us some tea, while you tell us your story."

Bilbo raised a finger in protest, but no sound escaped is mouth, so he gave in. He opened the door, waved them to enter. "Make yourselves at home."

Charlie put back her shoes and followed the mage inside the Hobbit's house.

* * *

Author's note : Well, slowly, it's getting somewhere. ;)


End file.
